Emotional safety supports belonging in schools

Emotional safety supports belonging in schools

For teachers, emotional safety means feeling respected and valued in their work, having the freedom to carry out their tasks without pressure or intimidation, and feeling supported. In turn, students need emotional safety to express their thoughts and emotions and develop in an environment that encourages growth and learning.

Defining emotional safety

The National Center for Advocating Emotional Safety in Learning Environments in the United States defines emotional safety as “the experience in which a person feels safe to express their feelings and has the confidence to take risks and to be curious or excited about trying new things”. According to the same source, emotional safety in schools refers to: “how safe a student feels in expressing emotions in school and how confident they are to express themselves and try something new.”

For teachers, emotional safety means feeling respected and valued in their work, having the freedom to carry out their tasks without pressure or intimidation, and feeling supported. In turn, students need emotional safety to express their thoughts and emotions and develop in an environment that encourages growth and learning.

The need for an emotionally safe environment in schools

The Teacher Wellbeing Index 2022 study carried out by Education Support in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland shows that 75% of teachers or administrative staff in schools are stressed, and 42% of respondents believe that their well-being is negatively influenced by the organizational culture of which they are a part. The same study revealed that 48% of participants feel that their organization is not involved in solving their mental health problems.

On the other hand, the latest results of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicate that students’ sense of belonging at school is decreasing and (cyber)bullying is wide-spread. Research shows that school bullying has devastating consequences for students’ health and school performance, and increases the risk of early school leaving. Around 20% of school children experience mental health problems, particularly anxiety and depression.

Belonging as a factor in supporting emotional safety in schools

Belonging plays an important role in the emotional safety of teachers and students. It is defined as the feeling of being part of the group and of being accepted and appreciated by peers and teachers. When students feel part of the school community, they build confidence and express their ideas and emotions openly. Teachers, in turn, can have more energy and motivation to carry out their activities if they are part of the school community and feel that they are valued for their work.

Sergiovanni (Darling-Hammond, 2017) argues that “when teachers build the structures that support belonging and emotional safety, they lay the foundation for students to focus on learning. Teachers can foster belonging and emotional safety by being responsive to students’ perspectives and needs, affirming the full identities of all students, and establishing structures that create predictability and coherence.”

Other factors influencing emotional safety in schools

Emotional safety in the school climate is influenced by several factors, including school culture, interpersonal relationships, perceptions of inclusion and acceptance, and conflict management.

A school’s organizational culture can support the emotional safety of teachers and students by creating a positive and sustainable learning environment. A strong organizational culture is based on shared values ​​and principles such as respect, inclusion and collaboration. They create an atmosphere of trust and emotional safety for all members of the school community, fostering a learning environment that allows everyone to feel safe and express their ideas and thoughts.

A positive organizational culture can also provide support to teachers and students when they need it. It may include mentoring and counseling programs for teachers and students, as well as training and development opportunities for teachers. Organizational culture can also promote a collaborative learning environment where teachers and students can work together to achieve school goals and improve their emotional skills.

A culture of positive interpersonal relations includes activities that encourage communication and collaboration between teachers and students, as well as training opportunities to improve communication and conflict-resolution skills. Interpersonal relationships help reduce anxiety and stress, which can have a negative impact on emotional safety.

Effective conflict management helps create a safe and respectful environment where teachers and students feel protected and understood, helping to prevent and resolve conflicts. Effective conflict management can improve school climate, creating a positive and productive environment for teachers and students and leading to increased trust in interpersonal relationships and self-confidence of teachers and students. At the same time, effective conflict management can prevent bullying, helping to create a safe environment for teachers and students.

Resources needed to support emotional safety in schools

Counseling: Counseling can be one of the most important resources for supporting the emotional safety of students and teachers. School counselors can help students and teachers manage their negative feelings and feel safer and more comfortable in school.

Support Programs: Support programs, such as support groups or discussion clubs, can help students connect with other students and develop social and emotional skills.

Emotional education: Emotional education can help students understand and manage their own emotions, as well as develop social and emotional skills.

Teacher training: Teachers can benefit from training to strengthen emotional safety and conflict management so that they can adequately support students.

Safe Physical Environment: A safe physical environment that is free of dangerous obstacles or unsafe areas can help increase the emotional safety of students and teachers.

Open and transparent communication: Open and transparent discussions between administration, teachers and students can increase emotional safety by improving relationships and clarifying expectations.

Some reflection questions for teachers who want to support emotional safety in the classroom:

  1. What personal feelings can affect my students’ emotional safety?
  2. What can I do to create a positive and safe learning environment for my students?
  3. What can I do to help my students feel safe and comfortable in the classroom?
  4. What can I do to help my students manage their emotions and feel safer?
  5. How can I improve communication with my students and other colleagues to support students’ emotional safety?
  6. What plans do I have to prevent and manage emotional conflicts in the classroom?
  7. What are those times when my students may need emotional support and how can I be there for them at those times?
6 Comments
  • Simina
    Posted at 12:18h, 05 February Reply

    În primul rand ma asigur ca sunt eu BINE, apoi cu siguranță ii voi putea sprijini pe ceilalți indiferent de situația care le provoacă nesiguranță emoțională.

    • Corina Diana Comșa
      Posted at 14:45h, 06 February Reply

      Sunt în deplin acord cu dumneavoastră.

  • NICOLESCU MARILENA
    Posted at 14:26h, 05 February Reply

    1. Frica de abandon, neîncrederea în sine.
    2. Să îmi laud elevii, pentru a le reda încrederea în ei.
    3. Să îi încurajez să colaboreze cu colegii.
    4. Să îi determin să își spună părerea despre ceea ce simt, despre emoțiile trăite.
    5. Prin lucru la clasă în grup/ pe echipe, prin participarea la activități extrașcolare și extraccuriculare.
    6. Să gestionez situațiile în care există situații conflictuale între elevi, prin comunicarea cu aceștia.
    7. La verificări și examene, precum și la spectacolele/recitalurile pe care le susțin elevii mei, voi fi prezentă cu o vorbă de încurajare și cu sfaturi de înlăturare a emoțiilor prin recunoașterea acestora și prin diferite exerciții de respirație sau de meditație.

  • Mady
    Posted at 16:17h, 05 February Reply

    Ce anume aș putea face pentru a-i ajuta pe elevii mei să își gestioneze emoțiile și să se simtă mai în siguranță?
    Să empatizez zilnic cu eprin activitati pe placul lor.

  • Fainarea Alina
    Posted at 16:40h, 05 February Reply

    Eu am creeat un spațiu de siguranță în clasă, unde copiii pot merge când simt o emoție puternica care le afectează dispoziția afectivă. În acest spațiu există emoțiile sub forma de emoji, iar acestea au atașat un suport pe care pot fi prinse niste carlige cu numele copiilor. Fiecare elev dimineața își pune carligul cu numele lui in dreptul emoție pe care o resimte. Exista si un semafor care te invita la reflecție: calmează, gândește, acționează. De-asemenea avem și un panou cu mesaje inimoase unde copii pot primi de la dna sau de la învățătoare mesaje de încurajare.

  • Corina Diana Comșa
    Posted at 14:44h, 06 February Reply

    Lipsa stimei de sine poate să sape adânc în siguranța emoțională a oricui, darămite a unui copil. De aceea, un profesor ar trebui înainte de toate să cunoască povestea fiecărui copil și apoi să se adapteze nevoilor emoționale ale acestuia atunci când creează spațiul de învățare. A te simți confortabil și în siguranță înseamnă să te simți văzut, auzit, să simți că ești luat în considerare cu înțelegere chiar și atunci când greșești. Și un lucru simplu pe care îl poate face profesorul în această privință este să se contecteze vizual și auditiv cu elevii săi de fiecare dată când intră în clasă. Să fie prezent și să arate că îi pasă. Când profesorului îi pasă, elevul găsește în profesor portul liniștit în care să se retragă de pe marea învolburată a emoțiilor, ca să își recapete echilibrul interior. Când profesorul ascultă cu adevărat, se îmbunătățește comunicarea atât cu elevii, cât și cu colegii profesori, căci ascultarea este ușa pe care intră bunăvoința, răbdarea, empatia… Conflictele își găsesc soluția într-un mediu în care cei implicați învață cu timpul să își gestioneze emoțiile, să asculte mai mult. Uneori, copiii au nevoie doar de prezența noastră, a adulților. Simplul fapt că suntem acolo le dă puterea să revină la echilibru. Alteori au nevoie de intervenția noastră ca judecători de pace, acei adulți ale căror valori morale manifestate aduc echilibrul. Și mai există situații în care adulții au rostul doar de a îndruma și de a monitoriza descoperirea celei mai bule alegeri de cître copiii implicați în conflict. Ce bine ar fi să le putem face pe toate acestea!

Post A Comment